Small start, big impact

A note on a mirror, a small basement gathering and a Facebook request. 

While hundreds of robust charitable organizations are actively giving back each day in Toronto and across the GTA, it would seem some of the most impactful started at a surprisingly small scale.

It’s proof, said many of these organizations’ originators, that if there’s a will to give back within one’s community – or even throughout the world – there’s always a way.  

Opening the purse strings

“I never imagined what could turn out from one idea,” said Jana Girdauskas of The Period Purse, a registered charity which provides access to free menstrual products to those in need.  

She said the initiative began quite humbly in 2017 when she began collecting menstrual products and wellness items for an individual in her community experiencing homelessness.  
Having several products in hand but missing something to put them in, she posted on a local Facebook group, asking if anyone could spare a purse for a good cause.
“Within a month, I received 350 purses filled with donated products,” said Girdauskas, whose initiative has since gone on to donate over four million period products and has expanded to chapters across Ontario. “This isn't my project anymore, this is something bigger, and it continues to grow because we are meant to make this difference.”

No one is an island

Boasting a similar backstory, Schools of Dreams — a charitable organization that supports the building of safe, sustainable learning environments for young students in rural Ghana — has grown exponentially since its founder Dora Anie felt compelled to make a difference.
“In 2003, my mom returned to Ontario after a trip back to Ghana and she had a fire in her belly,” said Dora’s daughter Barbara Anie, who has since become president of the organization. (Disclosure: Barbara Anie is an employee of the Toronto Star.)

Anie said that on that trip, a visit to her mother’s home village of Mepom revealed the school Dora attended as a child was in grave disrepair. Feeling compelled to find a solution, Dora began to raise money for its renovation.

“She began by approaching her church and asking if they could support her in raising funds to renovate that particular school,” said Anie. “From there, a lot of it was dollar by dollar.

“She was a hairdresser, so while you’d be getting a haircut, she’d have posted a little note on the mirror explaining her project and asking if you might donate your tip to the cause.”

Dora’s initiative has since evolved into a thriving registered Canadian charity called Schools of Dreams, which has raised hundreds of thousands for education-based infrastructure repair in Ghana — leading school enrolment in the organization’s partner villages to skyrocket.

“My mother unfortunately passed away from ovarian cancer in 2019,” said Anie. “But I think I can credit the success of her initiative both then and today to her passion and conviction for this cause — people around her knew she truly wanted to make a difference.”

For others moved to make a difference and contemplating starting a similar initiative, Anie said that transparency of funds, a personable approach and the building of a strong community are all key to getting a giving project off the ground.

“The expression, no man is an island, is quite real,” she said. “Whether it’s grassroots or a thriving charity organization you’re aiming to start, it’s a business at the end of the day. You’ve got to think with your heart and your head at the same time and surround yourself with a diverse group of people who bring different strengths to the table.”

The power of collaboration

It was this type of setup — a small but diverse group around a table — that launched the start of Free Geek Toronto. The technology reuse social enterprise provides low-cost computers, offers green solutions to unwanted and end-of-life technology, and works with local partners to increase digital inclusion in the city.

“There was almost no funding in the beginning,” said the organization’s executive director Ryan Fukunaga. “The initiative was launched in a basement of a church in Toronto’s west end.”

With a strong mission to achieve profound local impact, Free Geek Toronto has since evolved into a full-fledged not-for-profit employment social enterprise with an office on Queen West, an extensive team of board members and volunteers, and an impressive record of giving.

“We’ve gone from refurbishing 10 computers in our first year, to last year over 300,” said Fukunaga, explaining the revived devices are either sold at a reasonable price to individuals facing financial hardship or donated as part of Free Geek’s Hardware Grant program.

“My biggest piece of advice is that DIY is not the way to go in this realm,” he said. “If you’ve got a great idea for giving back, seek out other organizations doing something similar. Begin by lending them a hand — come together, support each other and share ideas.”

He said that Free Geek Toronto regularly joins forces with other similar initiatives in the city, resulting in a more expansive and impactful cycle of giving.  

“I’m truly proud of the fact that we’re still here,” Fukunaga said. “We’re hanging in there, and I credit that to our community and network. If we tried to do this by ourselves, we wouldn’t survive — we need each other.”